Five ways to support and celebrate PRIDE this June

For those of you who don’t know, this colourful month is an opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, those who paved the way for LGBT+ rights and a chance to educate those outside of the community on what they can do as allies to support LGBT+ individuals. PsyMood is a platform proud to say we specialize in offering online safe spaces for people that require mental health support regardless of their gender, identity, language or cultural background, in fact it’s our forte. So for this month we want to give you suggestions as a member of the community or a budding ally, five ways to support and celebrate PRIDE this June.

Attend a parade

Alongside the rainbow identifier, Pride is also well known for the parades that take place in cities across the world. Some of the biggest parades take place in Europe in cities such as Paris, Madrid and Copenhagen, where parades kick off week-long celebrations complete with full time tables of events. If you’re based in Toronto, you have a chance to be a part of the festivities too as the 2022 Toronto Pride parade is being held this Saturday from 2pm for the first time in two years. The parade will be marching for four hours across the city, you can find out more from their official website.

Donate to LGBT+ charities

Parties and celebrations are a great way to enjoy Pride but it is a really important time to acknowledge what you can do as an ally to support the community is a meaningful way that can truly make a positive difference to the lives on LGBT+ individuals. Canada helps, is a great website that helps you find charities that can directly impact those in need of your support, including those within the LGBT+ community. You can find their full list of recommended and trusted charities here.

Educate yourself

Just as it is important to donate to charities that empower and support the LGBT+ community it is also important to educate yourself on the struggles the community face and the history of the community. Many helpful websites have reading lists on books that do just this and can help you understand more about the history of the LGBT+ community. Here is one example of a reading list.

Buy from LGBT+ owned businesses

Another way to support those within the LGBT+ community not just during Pride but through the longer term is through showing your support to LGBT+ small businesses. As we all know during Covid many businesses were hit badly by lockdowns and restrictions and this has disproportionately affected minority groups including the LGBT+ community. Using hashtags on social media such as Tiktok and Instagram that include the phrase #lgbtowned or #lgbtbusiness can help you locate LGBT+ owned businesses that you can shop with and support.

Speak to someone in a safe space

Identifying as part of the LGBT+ community can involve complex feelings whether that is understanding your own identity or processing the prejudice you have faced when you have expressed your true self to family and friends.

At PsyMood, we are proud to offer a completely safe space for those within the LGBT+ community to speak to mental health professionals that speak their native language and understand their cultural background as a member of the community. We have over 350 specialists from around the world here to assist you. You can specify that you want to speak to a specialist within the LGBT+ community too during our onboarding questionnaire, if that is what would be most comfortable for you. Contact one of our specialists for a FREE 15-minute intake session today!